New faces in the series and new faces on new bikes were the story of the day as the 2010 testing season got started today at the Portimao Circuit in Portugal.
But it was Jonathan Rea and his same Hannspree Ten Kate Honda that lapped the quickest in the Portuguese sunshine, the Brit lapping at 1:42.156 and followed closely by Ducati Xerox’s Michael Fabrizio at 1:43.795.
One of the new faces in World Superbike was third fastest with newly crowned World Supersport Champion Cal Crutchlow lapping at 1:42.795 on the factory Yamaha R1 in his first World Superbike outing with the team. Then came Ducati Xerox’s Noriyuki Haga, the Japanese rider still stinging after losing the World Superbike Championship to Ben Spies on Sunday.
Fifth fastest was new Suzuki man Leon Haslam, the Brit riding the Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 to a best of 1:43.3, just a fraction ahead of Aprlia’s Max Biaggi.
Then came two-time World Superbike Champion James Toseland (pictured), the Brit starting his Yamaha World Superbike career off today. Toseland was a second off Crutchlow’s best lap with a 1:43.7.
German Max Neukirchner had his first outing on the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR and he went well as he returns from injury, posting the eighth fastest time.
Leon Camier was next on the factory Aprilia, leading Kawasaki-mounted Joan Lascorz, Althea Ducati-mounted Carlos Checa and DFX Ducati’s Javier Fores. Tom Sykes was next in his first outing on the factory Kawasaki, ahead of the returning Regis Laconi.
Not all riders had transponders fitted to their machines, therefore the times below are not official, but gathered from a number of sources. The tests continue tomorrow.
Superbike Times
1. Jonathan Rea (Honda) 1:42.156
2. Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) 1:42.362
3. Cal Crutchlow (YamahaP) 1:42.795
4. Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) 1:43.098
5. Leon Haslam (Suzuki) 1:43.3
6. Max Biaggi (Aprilia) 1:43.4
7. James Toseland (Yamaha) 1:43.7
8. Max Neukirchner (Honda) 1:43.810
9. Leon Camier (Aprilia) 1:43.9
10. Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki) 1:43.902
11. Carlos Checa (Ducati) 1:43.951
12. Javier Fores (Ducati) 1:44.413
13. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) 1:45.5
14. Regis Laconi (Ducati) 1:46.458
